Clemson’s passing game remains a work in progress, but Chad Morris believes Tait Reynolds is beginning to show the confidence and awareness the Tigers need from their freshman quarterback.
After Clemson’s 37-0 win over Charleston Southern, Morris agreed with Dabo Swinney that Reynolds had delivered his best performance. His assessment went beyond the numbers, focusing on how Reynolds handled his decisions and responded when his first option wasn’t available.
“From his decision-making, to see him hit checkdowns, to see the growth of him pulling the ball down and running it with a little bit more confidence, there’s no doubt that I felt like this was definitely his best game,” Morris said.
Those decisions can help Clemson sustain possessions even when bigger gains aren’t available. Taking an underneath completion or finding room to run gives Reynolds ways to keep the offense moving without forcing a difficult throw.
The challenge is making that progress more consistent. Reynolds is still learning through mistakes, and Morris acknowledged that the promising moments continue to come alongside reminders of his inexperience.
“He’s a kid that’s growing, and playing a little bit more confident each week, and it’s good to see,” Morris said.
One priority is helping Reynolds recognize when to escape pressure without giving up on a potential completion. Morris recently stopped practice to emphasize that moving outside the pocket should not mean immediately abandoning the passing game.
“The great quarterbacks that you see when the pocket collapses, they don’t look at the ground,” Morris said. “They’re constantly looking with their eyes down the field and seeing if they can create some explosives down the field.”
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Developing that awareness takes experience, but Morris believes Reynolds is showing improvement in how he handles those situations.
Clemson needs those lessons to translate into more production as ACC play resumes against Virginia Tech. While Reynolds still has considerable room to grow, Morris remains confident in the player directing his offense.
“He’s a phenomenal player,” Morris said. “And he’s a great competitor.”
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This article originally appeared on Clemson Wire: Clemson offensive coordinator talks Tait Reynolds development so far